RikudouGoku's Database (IEMs/Earbuds/Headphones Ranking list)

I have no clue as I never heard it.

Graph look similar to these I guess.


Some exist, at around 50 ohm, but you wont really find any high impedance iems.

Take a look at this calculator:

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Lmao 100%
image

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If You read the description it says it’s just one product… :rofl:

I hope nobody buys the 20-pack expecting different products… :joy:

Just bought a “2x pack”.

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In my opinion the JVC HA-FDX1 with the filtered nozzle are the closest.

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2021 Gear of the Year​

Now that 2021 is almost over, here is my audio gear of the year.

Rules:

  • Not limited to 2021 products
  • Products with known QC problems are disqualified (for example, no Urbanfun ISS014 (driver uncertainty/mmcx failure) or LZ A6 (moisture issue))
  • Nr 1 is the winner and nr 2 is the runner up.
  • Exotic driver are the iems that include a driver other than DD/BA.

IEMS:

Single driver count/type:

  1. Sony EX800ST (PEQ and filterless or BluTack)
  2. Tanchjim oxygen

Hybrid/multi-driver:

  1. Sony XBA-N3
  2. GS Audio GD3A

Exotic driver:

  1. Shuoer EJ07m
  2. LZ A7 (Pop-Red or Modded Pop-Black)

Earbuds:

  1. K´s LBBS
  2. QianYun Qian39

Headphones:

  1. Hifiman Sundara
  2. 1More H1707

Last year’s prediction for 2021:

“I hope to see more budget friendly EST iems coming in 2021. 2020 was the year when we got more EST choices from the Tri Starlight to the Penon Volt, but most of them were in the same (super expensive) price range. So, I hope we get cheaper EST iems (Sonion EST) so that more people can try them. But I mostly want chi-fi to improve with QC, because having an iffy QC even for the 100-300 usd range is not OK with me. I am also looking to give BA only iems another chance (or 2…), since it seems we are getting closer to the point where, BA´s sounds like a DD in both bass texture and timbre.”

In 2021, we did indeed see the rise of even more EST iems at a more affordable price than the last year (from average of 800 to 500 usd).

As for QC, well nothing has changed much IMO. For example, the “everyone gets a different tuning” on the Geek Wold GK10.

BA iems on the other hand…have all pretty much disappointed me at least the ones I have tried. So, if I were to give them another chance, it probably would be something higher priced.

Prediction for 2022: We are going to see more budget brands learning how to tune, thus forcing the higher priced brands to try harder or lose their standing. More iems with multi-DD setups will come out, be it multi-DD hybrids or standalone multi-DDs.

hope you guys have a merry Christmas and thank you for your support.
christmas-38

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Thanks for all your contributions and have a happy holiday season!

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@Rikudou_Goku your guidance in this ocean of chi-fi audio gear has been very helpful for a lot of people this year I believe.

Personally I am out of the game since I got the Fearless Provence (basically a side-grade from the GS GD3A you popularized), but I will continue checking out your reviews and rankings from time to time. Who knows, maybe in 2022 you will discover another gem.

I wish happy holidays to all, and success in your studies to you.

Cheers

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Thank you very much.

Congratulations on reaching “endgame”.

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@Rikudou_Goku did you buy i88/i88mini or i99?
I always look at i88 but hasn’t same hype as Timeless…

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Nope, no interest.

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@Rikudou_Goku looking to get new equipment to replace my fiio k5 pro as there’s an audible hiss with some iems, am i right in thinking i look for an amp with a high SNR or is there something i’m incorrect about? i think i’m right in that i only need a new amp and not both a new amp and a dac but idk for sure what figure i should be looking at specifically, just that i need an amp with a low noise floor, tried looking it up but i’m not getting concrete answers

Yes, you only need a new amp.

You want something with as low OI as possible (0.1 is the standard for desktop level amps).
And preferably something that has negative gain stage (low, medium and high gain settings).

Check out the Topping L30 for example.

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ok thank you, think i’ll go with the topping L50 then for extra power over the k5 pro + the specs you mentioned, + i want xlr form factor for a couple of over-ear headphones

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2021-12-28:

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Sony MDR-CD900ST (stock pads) impressions:
Bass: flat and rolled-off sub-bass. Clean due to the speed and tightness, quantity is on the lower side for my preferences though but pretty good quality with impressive texture.

Mids: forward vocals, especially female vocals, great quality and very good tonality. Was expecting the 3.5k peak to kill my ears, but it doesn’t bother me at all.

Treble: Somewhat dark treble, but very good tonal balancing due to the low bass quantity and 3.5k peak making the female vocals brighter. So, it doesn’t end up being too dark. Fatigue free treble.

Tech: soundstage is on the narrower side (although if you are mainly an iem user like me, it shouldn’t bother you too much) for a headphone. Detail, separation and imaging are quite impressive considering it doesn’t have much of a tonality boost. Timbre is very good.

Overall: extremely impressed by this ancient headphone (released in 1985!), this is for vocal lovers that want a fatigue free treble. (Will review this.)

Regarding the Yaxi stPad2, they SUCK. Legit, avoid them like the plague. It does increase the bass (which I would like) but then it also decreases the mids AND increases the treble a LOT (treble-head level). If you want to change the sound to this degree, just get something else….

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2021-12-30: Sony MDR-CD900ST review: Sony MDR-CD900ST - Reviews | Headphone Reviews and Discussion - Head-Fi.org

Rank: S

If you like mids, drop whatever you are doing and get this ASAP.

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Thanks, I just dropped a plate on the ground… then I realized I bought it yesterday :rofl:

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It’s been on my wishlist for a few months now just cause everytime I watch THE FIRST TAKE videos, this headphones is always there, so it must be hella good! You got me at female vocals!

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hahah, yeah they got me as well. Although it was this one that really made me pull the trigger.

Cant say no if God Sawano uses them. :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

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And With Ensemble, heck two freaking good channels for JP music.
But the real reason why the Sony MDR series headphones are always there is because THE FIRST TAKE (and probably With Ensemble) are owned and promoted by Sony Music Entertainment Japan lol.

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Mannn this sounds so good. Will definitely get this one later down the road.

Yup! I knew about that. They even did commercials with the WF-1000XM4s. But boy… they are doing a good job of making me wanting to get a hand on that headphones LOL

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